sons of the soil-第26章

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By　one　of　those　accidents　which　come　about　naturally；　the　general　met；

while　at　the　prefecture　where　his　friend　put　him　up；　a　non…

commissioned　officer　of　the　ex…Imperial　guard；　who　had　been　cheated

out　of　his　retiring　pension。　The　general　had　already；　under　other

circumstances；　done　a　service　to　the　brave　cavalryman；　whose　name　was

Groison；　the　man；　remembering　it；　now　told　him　his　troubles；　admitting

that　he　was　penniless。　The　general　promised　to　get　him　his　pension；

and　proposed　that　he　should　take　the　place　of　field…keeper　to　the

district　of　Blangy；　as　a　way　of　paying　off　his　score　of　gratitude　by

devotion　to　the　new　mayor's　interests。　The　appointments　of　master　and

man　were　made　simultaneously；　and　the　general　gave；　as　may　be

supposed；　very　firm　instructions　to　his　subordinate。



Vaudoyer；　the　displaced　keeper；　a　peasant　on　the　Ronquerolles　estate；

was　only　fit；　like　most　field…keepers；　to　stalk　about；　and　gossip；　and

let　himself　be　petted　by　the　poor　of　the　district；　who　asked　nothing

better　than　to　corrupt　at　subaltern　authority；the　advanced　guard；　as

it　were；　of　the　land…owners。　He　knew　Soudry；　the　brigadier　at

Soulanges；　for　brigadiers　of　gendarmerie；　performing　functions　that

are　semi…judicial　in　drawing　up　criminal　indictments；　have　much　to　do

with　the　rural　keepers；　who　are；　in　fact；　their　natural　spies。　Soudry；

being　appealed　to；　sent　Vaudoyer　to　Gaubertin；　who　received　his　old

acquaintance　very　cordially；　and　invited　him　to　drink　while　listening

to　the　recital　of　his　troubles。



〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　the　mayor　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　who　could　talk　to

every　man　in　his　own　language；　〃what　has　happened　to　you　is　likely　to

happen　to　us　all。　The　nobles　are　back　upon　us。　The　men　to　whom　the

Emperor　gave　titles　make　common　cause　with　the　old　nobility。　They　all

want　to　crush　the　people；　re…establish　their　former　rights　and　take

our　property　from　us。　But　we　are　Burgundians；　we　must　resist；　and

drive　those　Arminacs　back　to　Paris。　Return　to　Blangy；　you　shall　be

agent　for　Monsieur　Polissard；　the　wood…merchant；　who　is　contractor　for

the　forest　of　Ronquerolles。　Don't　be　uneasy；　my　lad；　I'll　find　you

enough　to　do　for　the　whole　of　the　coming　year。　But　remember　one　thing；

the　wood　is　for　ourselves！　Not　a　single　depredation；　or　the　thing　is

at　an　end。　Send　all　interlopers　to　Les　Aigues。　If　there's　brush　or

fagots　to　sell　make　people　buy　ours；　don't　let　them　buy　of　Les　Aigues。

You'll　get　back　to　your　place　as　field…keeper　before　long；　this　thing

can't　last。　The　general　will　get　sick　of　living　among　thieves。　Did　you

know　that　that　Shopman　called　me　a　thief；　me！son　of　the　stanchest

and　most　incorruptible　of　republicans；　me！the　son　in　law　of　Mouchon；

that　famous　representative　of　the　people；　who　died　without　leaving　me

enough　to　bury　him？〃



The　general　raised　the　salary　of　the　new　field…keeper　to　three　hundred

francs；　and　built　a　town…hall；　in　which　he　gave　him　a　residence。　Then

he　married　him　to　a　daughter　of　one　of　his　tenant…farmers；　who　had

lately　died；　leaving　her　an　orphan　with　three　acres　of　vineyard。

Groison　attached　himself　to　the　general　as　a　dog　to　his　master。　This

legitimate　fidelity　was　admitted　by　the　whole　community。　The　keeper

was　feared　and　respected；　but　like　the　captain　of　a　vessel　whose

ship's　company　hate　him；　the　peasantry　shunned　him　as　they　would　a

leper。　Met　either　in　silence　or　with　sarcasms　veiled　under　a　show　of

good…humor；　the　new　keeper　was　a　sentinel　watched　by　other　sentinels。

He　could　do　nothing　against　such　numbers。　The　delinquents　took　delight

in　plotting　depredations　which　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　prove；　and

the　old　soldier　grew　furious　at　his　helplessness。　Groison　found　the

excitement　of　a　war　of　factions　in　his　duties；　and　all　the　pleasures

of　the　chase；a　chase　after　petty　delinquents。　Trained　in　real　war　to

a　loyalty　which　consists　in　part　of　playing　a　fair　game；　this　enemy　of

traitors　came　at　last　to　hate　these　people；　so　treacherous　in　their

conspiracies；　and　so　clever　in　their　thefts　that　they　mortified　his

self…esteem。　He　soon　observed　that　the　depredations　were　committed

only　at　Les　Aigues；　all　the　other　estates　were　respected。　At　first　he

despised　a　peasantry　ungrateful　enough　to　pillage　a　general　of　the

Empire；　an　essentially　kind　and　generous　man；　presently；　however；　he

added　hatred　to　contempt。　But　multiply　himself　as　he　would；　he　could

not　be　everywhere；　and　the　enemy　pillaged　everywhere　that　he　was　not。

Groison　made　the　general　understand　that　it　was　necessary　to　organize

the　defence　on　a　war　footing；　and　proved　to　him　the　insufficiency　of

his　own　devoted　efforts　and　the　evil　disposition　of　the　inhabitants　of

the　valley。



〃There　is　something　behind　it　all；　general；〃　he　said；　〃these　people

are　so　bold　they　fear　nothing；　they　seem　to　rely　on　the　favor　of　the

good　God。〃



〃We　shall　see；〃　replied　the　count。



Fatal　word！　The　verb　〃to　see〃　has　no　future　tense　for　politicians。



At　the　moment；　Montcornet　was　considering　another　difficulty；　which

seemed　to　him　more　pressing。　he　needed　an　alter　ego　to　do　his　work　in

the　mayor's　office　during　the　months　he　lived　in　Paris。　Obliged　to

find　some　man　who　knew　how　to　read　and　write　for　the　position　of

assistant　mayor；　he　knew　of　none　and　could　hear　of　none　throughout　the

district　but　Langlume；　the　tenant　of　his　own　flour…mill。　The　choice

was　disastrous。　Not　only　were　the　interests　of　mayor　and　miller

diametrically　opposed；　but　Langlume　had　long　hatched　swindling

projects　with　Rigou；　who　lent　him　money　to　carry　on　his　business；　or

to　acquire　property。　The　miller　had　bought　the　right　to　the　hay　of

certain　fields　for　his　horses；　and　Sibilet　could　not　sell　it　except　to

him。　The　hay　of　all　the　fields　in　the　district　was　sold　at　better

prices　than　that　of　Les　Aigues；　though　the　yield　of　the　latter　was　the

best。



Langlume；　then；　became　the　provisional　mayor；　but　in　France　the

provisional　is　eternal；though　Frenchmen　are　suspected　of　loving

change。　Acting　by　Rigou's　advice；　he　played　a　part　of　great　devotion

to　the　general；　and　he　was　still　assistant…mayor　at　the　moment　when；

by　the　omnipotence　of　the　historian；　this　drama　begins。



In　the　absence　of　the　mayor；　Rigou；　necessarily　a　member　of　the

district　council；　reigned　supreme；　and　brought　forward　resolutions　all

injuriously　affecting　the　general。　At　one　time　he　caused　money　to　be

spent　for　purposes　that　were　profitable　to　the　peasants　only；the

greater　part　of　the　expenses　falling　upon　Les　Aigues；　which；　by　reason

of　its　great　extent；　paid　two　thirds　of　the　taxes；　at　other　times　the

council　refused；　under　his　influence；　certain　useful　and　necessary

allowances；　such　as　an　increase　in　salary　for　the　abbe；　repairs　or

improvements　to　the　parsonage；　or　〃wages〃　to　the　school…master。



〃If　the　peasants　once　know　how　to　read　and　write；　what　will　become　of

us？〃　said　Langlume；　naively；　to　the　general；　to　excuse　this　anti…

liberal　action　taken　against　a　brother　of　the　Christian　Doctrine　whom

the　Abbe　Brossette　wished　to　establish　as　a　public　school…master　in

Blangy。



The　general；　delighted　with　his　old　Groison；　returned　to　Paris　and

immediately　looked　about　him　for　other　old　soldiers　of　the　late

imperial　guard；　with　whom　to　organize　the　defence　of　Les　Aigues　on　a

formidable　footing。　By　dint　of　searching　out　and　questioning　his

friends　and　many　officers　on　half…pay；　he　unearthed　Michaud；　a　former

quartermaster　at　headquarters　of　the　cuirassiers　of　the　guard；　one　of

those　men　whom　troopers　call　〃hard…to…cook；〃　a　nickname　derived　from

the　mess　kitchen　where　refractory　beans　are　not　uncommon。　Michaud

picked　out　from　among　his　friends　and　acquaintances；　three　other　men

fit　to　be　his　helpers；　and　able　to　guard　the　estate　without　fear　and

without　reproach。



The　first；　named　Steingel；　a　pure…blooded　Alsacian；　was　a　natural　son

of　the　general　of　that　name；　who　fell　in　one　of　Bonaparte's　first

victories　with　the　army　of　Italy。　Tall　and　strong；　he　belonged　to　the

class　of　soldiers　accustomed；　like　the　Russians；　to　obey；　passively

and　absolutely。　Nothing　hindered　him　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；

he　would　have　collared　an　emperor　or　a　pope　if　such　were　his　orders。

He　ignored　danger。　Perfectly　fearless；　he　had　never　received　the

smallest　scratch　during　his　sixteen　years'　campaigning。　He　slept　in

the　open　air　or　in　his　bed　with　stoical　indifference。　At　any　increased

labor　or　discomfort；　he　merely　remarked；　〃It　seems　to　be　the　order　of

the　day。〃



The　second　man；　Vatel；　son　of　the　regiment；　corporal　of　voltigeurs；

gay　as　a　lark；　rather　free　and　easy　with　the　fair　sex；　brave　to

foolhardiness；　was　capable　of　shooting　a　comrade　with　a　laugh　if

ordered　to　execute　him。　With　no　future　before　him　and　not　knowing　how

to　employ　himself；　the　prospect　of　finding　an　amusing　little　war　in

the　functions　of　keeper；　attracted　him；　and　as　the　grand　army　and　the

Emperor　had　hitherto　stood　him　in　place　of　a　religion；　so　now　he　swore

to　serve　the　brave　Montcornet　against　and　through　all　and　everything。

His　nature　was　of　that　essentially　wrangling　quality　to　which　a　life

without　enemies　seems　dull　and　objectless；the　nature；　in　short；　of　a

litigant；　or　a　policeman。　If　it　had　not　been　for　the　presence　of　the

sheriff's　officer；　he　would　have　seized　Tonsard　and　the　bundle　of　wood

at　the　Grand…I…Vert；　snapping　his　fingers　at　the　law　on　the

inviolability　of　a　man's　domicile。



The　third　man；　Gaillard；　also　an　old　soldier；　risen　to　the　rank　of

sub…lieutenant；　and　covered　with　wounds；　belonged　to　the　class　of

mechanical　soldiers。　The　fate　of　the　Emperor　never　left　his　mind　and

he　became　indifferent　to　everything　else。　With　the　care　of　a　natural

daughter　on　his　hands；　he　accepted　the　place　that　was　now　offered　to

him　as　a　means　of　subsistence；　taking　it　as　he　would　have　taken

service　in　a　regiment。



When　the　general　reached　Les　Aigues；　whither　he　had　gone　in　advance　of

his　troopers；　intending　to　send　away　Courtecuisse；　he　was　amazed　at

discovering　the　impudent　audacity　with　which　the　keeper　had　fulfilled

his　commands。　There　is　a　method　of　obeying　which　makes　the　obedience

of　the　servant　a　cutting　sarcasm　on　the　master's　order。　But　all　things

in　this　world　can　be　reduced　to　absurdity；　and　Courtecuisse　in　this

instance　went　beyond　its　limits。



One　hundred　and　twenty…six　indictments　against　depredators　（most　of

whom　were　in　collusion　with　Courtecuisse）　and　sworn　to　before　the

justice　court　of　Soulanges；　had　resulted　in　sixty…nine　commitments　for

trial；　in　virtue　of　which　Brunet；　the　sheriff's　officer；　delighted　at

such　a　windfall　of　fees；　had　rigorously　enforced　the　warrants　in　such

a　way　as　to　bring　about　what　is　called；　in　legal　language；　a

declaration　of　insolvency；　a　condition　of　pauperism　where　the　law

becomes　of　course　powerless。　By　this　declaration　the　sheriff　proves

that　the　defendant　possesses　no　property　of　any　kind；　and　is　therefore

a　pa